Franciscan choir location as a model in Umbrian context 

Résumé 0

The chapter presents a reconstruction of the successive spatial layouts in the Benedictine church of S. Pietro in Perugia, between the fourteenth and the seventeenth century. The reasons for the individual transformations varied greatly and ranged from liturgical and representational motivations to changing aesthetic principles. The original spatial disposition of S. Pietro was changed greatly in the 1330s, when a retro-choir disposition was introduced: in doing so, the Benedictine monks of S. Pietro copied a local decidedly Franciscan spatial disposition. In 1436, this relatively open disposition was removed by the reform congregation of S. Giustina: the altar was transferred to the east end of the apse, and the choir district was closed off by both lateral and frontal choir screens. New wooden stalls were commissioned in the 1530’s without changing the pre-existing spatial layout; new celebrant benches were added in 1555, flanking the high altar in the centre of the apse. Around 1591-1609, the retro-choir disposition was re-introduced to S. Pietro. The high altar was newly erected in the middle of the elevated sanctuary area, and the frontal choir screen was transferred to the inner western wall of the church. The choir benches mainly remained in their previous position, but the celebrant benches and the choir stalls in the western area exchanged their places.